


More Than a Feeling

by Jessica_Bones_Winchester



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-21
Updated: 2016-12-14
Packaged: 2018-09-01 05:41:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,664
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8610853
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jessica_Bones_Winchester/pseuds/Jessica_Bones_Winchester
Summary: A palm reader gives Dean the ability to feel the emotions of someone he cares for, but Dean doesn't know who exactly she means. Can he figure it out? What happens if he does?





	1. Chapter 1

Kristin pulled another tuft of cotton candy from the stick Dean held as they walked through the carnival.

"It's been too long since I've had this stuff," she said. "So good."

"Feels good to take a break and do something fun," Dean said.

Kristin nodded. "It's a shame Sam didn't come with us."

Dean pointed over to a group of kids sitting around a clown's feet.

"That's why he didn't come. Too many clowns roaming around. And, to be honest, the last carnival we went to was for a case... and it was a killer clown. Well, sort of."

"Seriously?"

"Yep."

She and Dean both pulled more cotton candy from the stick.

"What should we do next?" she asked.

Dean shrugged. "Wanna hit the Gravitron again?"

"After that greasy stuff from the last food truck? No thanks."

"Wuss."

Kristin elbowed him in his side.

"What about the palm reader?"

Dean groaned. "Really?"

"Why not?"

"We deal with real witches and psychics and you wanna go blow our money on a fake one?"

"You assume she's a fake?"

"You don't?"

She grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the tent.

"Come on. It won't hurt to sit for five minutes."

"Fine."

Dean looked around as he entered the space. Typical setup. Hanging beads, fringes, and a gypsy-looking woman in a headscarf with a talisman around her neck. He shook his head as he sat down next to Kristin.

"I don't like skeptics," the woman said in a mysterious accent.

"I'm sure you don't," Dean said.

She stared at him a moment before she turned her attention to Kristin.

"You," she said, "I sense you are hesitant to believe I am real, but you are open to the possibility."

"That's right."

Dean scoffed and the woman turned back to him.

"Give me your hand."

"I don't think so."

"Your hand."

Dean hesitated, but put his hand palm-up on hers. She covered it with her other hand and closed her eyes.

"How can someone who has seen so much doubt my ability? Or do you just doubt me?"

She opened her eyes, but Dean held his poker face. He wasn't giving an inch.

"I'll come back to you," she said.

She put her hand out to Kristin, and did the same as she had done with Dean.

"Both of you... have seen so much. You will see much more." She opened her eyes and looked into Kristin's. "You have a question you are afraid to ask. You are afraid of the answer. So, I won't give it to you."

Kristin's eyes widened, and she pulled her hand away.

"What's wrong?" Dean asked.

"Nothing." Kristin pulled both hands into her lap.

"What question?"

"Are you a believer now?" the woman asked.

Dean scoffed and stood. He grabbed Kristin's hand.

"Let's go."

"Wait. You stay," the woman said to Dean. "I have something to say to you."

"Dean-"

He handed her the cotton candy. "Wait outside. I'll be out in a sec."

When Kristin was gone, the woman stood.

"I don't like skeptics."

"Better watch that... your accent slipped."

"Yes. My accent, the clothes, the décor. It's all for show. I have to make a living, and this is what people expect from a psychic."

"So, you admit you're a fake."

"The presentation may be phony, but I'm not. I'd like a chance to prove it to you. I asked her to leave so you can be open."

She held out her hand, and Dean rolled his eyes, but gave her his. She placed her free hand on top.

"There is someone you care deeply for."

"I care for a few people. You'll have to be more specific."

"I won't verify who. This isn't a parlor trick. I saw the person in your mind before. You'll make the connection."

She placed her hand over Dean's chest and whispered. Dean felt a warm sensation flutter through him.

"What did you just do?"

"Did I mention I dabble in witchcraft?"

"What?"

"Sorry. I forgot. Oh, well. I put a little bit of a spell on you."

"You cursed me?"

"It's not a curse. Trust me when I tell you it will be the greatest gift I can give you."

Anxiety began to well up in his chest. "What the hell did you do?"

"It will help you get in touch with someone's emotions."

"I'm about as in touch with my emotions as a guy can get, lady."

"Not yours. That person you care deeply about. Whatever emotions that person feels, you will experience them. Depending on how deep the emotion is, it may even overpower your own emotion at the time."

"Oh, that's great. How do I stop it?"

"It will go away on its own. Discover who the person is, and confront the feelings you have."

Dean turned to leave the tent.

"By the way... Distance doesn't matter. You will still experience their emotions even when they're not around."

Dean left the tent, and the anxious feeling left his body as soon as his eyes connected with Kristin's.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"Fine. Let's get out of here."

Dean grabbed her hand and started walking toward the parking lot.

"What did she want?"

"She wanted to show me her real accent."

"She was a fake?"

Dean hesitated. "Yeah."

"Then why are we leaving?"

Dean stopped and whispered. "She threatened to put security on us if I caused trouble for her. I'd rather just leave altogether."

"Dean, it's rent-a-cops. Nothing to worry about."

"Look, we've already done everything here at least once. We've pigged out. We got our cotton candy."

"We didn't do the house of mirrors."

Dean shifted from one leg to the other. He watched as a smile pulled at her lips, and he sighed. He never could tell her no when she wanted something. That was how he ended up at the carnival in the first place.

"Okay. We'll do the house of mirrors."

"Yay!"

She took the last piece of cotton candy from the stick and put it up to Dean's lips.

"For being awesome," she said.

His tongue snaked out and pulled the fluff into his mouth. Kristin searched for a trash can and threw the stick away, and Dean watched her. It wasn't a foreign feeling He'd gotten it before around her. A warmth in the pit of his gut. Ever since their first case together, there were moments when she could almost knock him off his feet with desire.

"You coming?" she asked as she walked away.

He shook his head and caught up with her.

"Don't be a grump when we get in here, Winchester. Have fun with it."

"Yeah, well, you weren't in the last fun house."

"Killer clown?"

"Killer clown."

"I'll protect you."

She smiled at Dean and he couldn't resist the urge to smile back. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her into his side.

"I'm sure you will."


	2. Chapter 2

Dean drove back to the bunker, tapping his steering wheel to the song playing on the radio. Kristin was in the passenger seat with another stick of cotton candy, happily shoveling it into her mouth.

Dean felt a warm, calming sensation spread from his chest and out to all his limbs.

"What're you smiling about, Winchester?"

Dean glanced over at Kristin. "Am I smiling?"

"Big time."

He shrugged. "I don't know. I feel good. We had a good day, didn't we?"

"It was a great day."

"It was."

"It's nice to see you smiling."

Dean looked at Kristin, and their eyes met. There was a flutter in his chest, then the warmth spread through his gut. He smiled, and turned his eyes back to the road.

Why did she have to be so perfect for him? She never showed any interest beyond friendship, and it drove Dean half crazy. She ate like he did, liked his music, liked his taste in movies. He even admitted his love of the occasional romantic comedy to her. Why? Because she was so damn easy to talk to. She was accepting. She was also fiercely protective of him and Sam.

But she never showed any interest, and he would rather her be in his life as a great friend than to lose her trying to take it further.

When the song on the radio changed, Dean turned up the volume.

"Here we go," he said.

Kristin laughed as Dean sang along to Ramble On. When the chorus came, she sang with him. They pulled up to the bunker and Dean threw the car in park while they sat and finished the song.

Sam looked up as they walked into the library. Kristin was still nibbling on her cotton candy as she sat across the table from him.

"Beer?" Dean asked with a hand on her shoulder.

"Sure."

Dean thought about the palm reader as he walked to the kitchen. We was worried about what might happen to him. So far everything was fine, but what happened when he started feeling this other person's emotions? What if he started feeling them and he never figured it out? It would never stop.

Despite the worry he felt, he was happy. It was a happiness he rarely felt. It was contentment.

Maybe the happiness wasn't his.

He walked back into into the library with a smile on his face.

"I was just telling Kris," Sam said, "it looks like you two had a good time."

"We really did." Dean handed Kristin her beer and sat next to her. "It was nice to just take a beak from everything."

"And the cotton candy is excellent. Worth the trip for that alone."

Dean laughed. "It was really good."

"Well," Sam said, "I hate to burst your happiness bubble-"

"Then don't."

"We have a case."

Sam spun his laptop around so Dean and Kristin could see the screen. There was a news article up.

"Three men missing over as many weeks," Sam said, "just about four hours from here."

"What do you think it is?" Kristin asked.

"I wasn't sure at first, but the first guy's body popped up two days ago drained of blood."

"Vampires?" Dean asked.

"Maybe."

"All right. Let's hit the road."

Dean pulled into the motel parking lot a little after ten o'clock that night. After some research, they discovered that one of the missing men was at a club the night he disappeared, so the three of them decided to start there.

They walked in one at a time and spread out. There was a bar to the far left. Dean claimed his spot there. A large, crowded dance floor filled the middle of the space, with seating areas all around. Sam found a semi-empty couch. Kristin went straight out onto the dance floor.

With a beer in his hand, Dean turned in his barstool and watched the room. He found Sam, then Kristin, then looked for anything out of place. But his eyes kept going back to Kristin. It didn't take long for some guy to work his way over to her and start dancing with her. She tried to keep her distance, and worked her way toward the edge of the crowd, but he kept pressing closer to her from behind. His hand would land on her and she would brush it away.

Dean felt the aggravation rising up quick while he watched. Were guys really this clueless when it came to women showing they weren't interested?

When the guy's hand landed on Kristin's backside, Dean slammed his beer onto the bar and was on his feet. He wove his way through a few drunk college kids, pulled back his fist, and broke the guy's nose. The guy grabbed his face and doubled over as blood poured down his arm and onto the dance floor.

"What the hell!"

Kristin's eyes were wide as Sam approached.

"We should go," Sam said.

He pulled Dean away, and Dean grabbed Kristin's hand, practically dragging her. Once they were outside, she yanked her hand from his grip.

"What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Are you kidding me? That guy was all over you?"

"He could be our bad guy, Dean. I had it under control!"

"Guys," Sam said, "you can yell at each other in the car, okay? Let's get out of here."

Sam nudged Kristin into the backseat, and Dean got behind the wheel.

"He was just trying to flirt," Kristin started.

Dean left black tire marks on the road as he took off.

"His hand was on your ass!"

"So, what? You think I couldn't handle some douche bag with grabby hands? You think he's the first guy to not take a hint?"

Dean felt the aggravation turning into anger. She was right, and it was pissing him off. Of course she could handle herself. He kept quiet, not wanting to say something he couldn't take back.

Just as he pulled into the motel parking lot, Kristin broke the silence.

"I wanna know why you felt you had to punch that guy in the face."

Dean threw the car into park and opened his door.

"I didn't like the way he was touching you."

Kristin followed him with Sam on her heels.

"What the hell do you care?"

Dean took a moment as he tossed his keys onto the dresser. This had to come out right.

"You know we protect each other. I look out for you just like I look out for Sam. That guy wasn't our monster, but I didn't like his intentions."

Kristin just stared at him a moment. In that short time, Dean felt like he had been punched in the gut, then a surge of red hot anger that he didn't understand.

"You can keep your damn big brother sentiments to yourself, Dean Winchester. I don't need you looking out for me like I'm a little girl."

"That's not what I-"

"I don't wanna hear it."

Kristin grabbed a change of clothes and locked herself in the bathroom with a slam of the door.

Sam sat quietly on his and Dean's bed and watched the whole thing. When Dean turned to him, he just shook his head.

"What," Dean said, "no words of wisdom?"

"None. That escalated fast. I don't even know what happened."

"Me either." The anger was beginning to fade.

"Why did you punch the guy like that?"

"I don't know."

"Seriously? You don't know?"

"What do you want me to say?"

Dean grabbed the television remote and sat on the edge of the bed. As he flipped through the channels, a heaviness fell over him. It was a sadness that settled in his chest then rose like a lump into his throat, until a tear slipped down his cheek. He wiped at it in surprise, then looked at Sam. He hadn't seen it. And Sam certainly didn't seem sad at the moment, so it wasn't Sam's emotions he was feeling.

But it certainly wasn't his own, either. He was questioning every feeling he had since the carnival. The happiness that seemed so foreign. The anger that seemed out of place a few minutes ago. Now this sadness that actually made him cry.

Dean knew these weren't his emotions, but if they weren't Sam's... His eyes drifted over to the closed bathroom door. This time, he knew the heaviness in his chest was his own.

Had he made Kristin cry?


	3. Chapter 3

Kristin emerged from the bathroom with her head down. She walked right over to her bed and pulled the covers down.

"Kris... I'm sorry."

Kristin looked up at Dean then glanced around the room.

"I asked Sam to take a walk. I wanted to apologize. I never meant that you can't take care of yourself. I just..."

"You just acted like you."

"Yeah, but if me acting like me gets you that angry, we've got a problem."

"It wasn't just you, Dean. I need to apologize, too. I overreacted. I'm sorry."

"Are you sure? I don't think I've ever seen you that angry at me or Sam. I don't wanna lose you, Kris."

"You'd have to do a lot worse to push me out, Winchester."

Dean smiled. "Are we okay?"

Kristin nodded as she walked to him. She wrapped her arms around his waist and lay her head on his chest.

Dean returned her embrace and kissed the top of her head. That fluttering feeling in his gut was back. He so rarely felt this way about a woman, but Kristin gave him butterflies more than he cared to admit. Especially when they were this close.

The next day, they worked the case. The more they talked to people, the more it sounded like vampires, except for one thing. Vamps had a tendency to be noticed by a community. They always hung out together, and sometimes caused trouble. That wasn't happening here, and they had no leads on who could be their monsters.

Dean kept alert, watching his feelings, analyzing which ones were his, and which ones might be Kristin's.

He was staring into a bakery window when a feeling of longing washed over him. He heard Kristin and Sam talking behind him, and the butterflies turned into a rock, right in the pit of his stomach. He always knew someone would sweep her off her feet one day, and she deserved it, but he couldn't take it if it were Sam.

He turned around and found Kristin looking at him. She smiled, and the pit in his stomach changed. Embarrassment? That's what it felt like.

Dean smiled back at her, and the longing returned. Damn, he wanted this woman.

"Are you scoping out pies?" she asked.

"Nah, but I am hungry."

"We did skip lunch," Sam said.

"Let's go grab an early dinner," Kristin said.

At the diner, Dean found a booth and slid into the seat. Sam sat opposite him. Kristin sat next to Dean. She pulled out her cell and started scrolling through a news feed, looking for anything that could help them. As her thumb pushed at the screen, she lay her head on Dean's shoulder.

"Nice to see you two made up after that big blow up," Sam said.

"Sammy-"

"Can't stay mad at my best friend," Kristin cut in. "He meant well."

Dean put an arm around Kristin's shoulder. He didn't want to talk about the fight. Emotions ran high, and he still couldn't figure out how much of everything was hers and how much was his own.

What existed now was an ache in his chest. It was a familiar ache that he felt when he thought of how much he wanted Kristin, and that he couldn't do anything about it without risking her leaving. When she was this close, lying against him this way, it was hard to ignore.

Dean lay in bed with his eyes closed, and his arms folded over his chest. He smiled when Kristin cuddled next to him and laid a hand on his arm.

"What's up, Kris?"

"I want to be absolutely sure we're okay."

Dean opened his eyes. "Of course."

"I just... I had trouble sleeping last night. Even after we talked."

Dean turned to his side and lifted the covers. He pulled her into his arms.

"Get some sleep. We're good."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

Kristin lay her head against his chest and took a deep breath.

The longing he felt overwhelmed him, and he blinked away moisture building in his eyes. What if this wasn't all him? Yes, he wanted Kristin. Yes, he'd had these feeling for her before. But never so strong. Could Kristin feel the same way? He had to be sure.

In the meantime, he tried not to think about how she felt pressed against him. Or how her hair still smelled of her shampoo, even after being out all day. Or how badly he wanted to brush the stray piece of it out of her face, and let his fingers skim down her cheek before kissing her.

Sam came out of the bathroom and raised an eyebrow.

"What's this?"

"This," Kristin said, "is me being tired, and Dean being comfy and warm."

"What, I'm not comfy and warm?"

"No offense, Sam, but you're like an out of control furnace. I always wake up sweating when I sleep next to you."

Dean smiled at Sam. "What can I say, dude? She's Goldilocks and I'm just right."

Kristin punched his arm. "You did not just say that."

They both laughed, and Kristin buried her face against Dean's chest.

"Geez," Sam said as he rolled his eyes. "I'd tell you to get a room, but..."

Sam lay down on the other bed, and the laughter died. Dean cleared his throat and tightened his embrace around Kristin, worried Sam's words might make her pull away. After a moment, she relaxed against him and drifted to sleep.

The next day, Kristin stayed at the motel while Sam and Dean went to get a look a dead body. While they waited to be let into the morgue, Dean felt an ache building in his gut. He knew it had to be Kristin's emotions, because it came out of nowhere. He wondered what she was thinking about. He closed his eyes and let the ache build and wash over him until it was suddenly replaced with a content, blissful feeling.

His eyes popped open. That couldn't be what it felt like. There was only one thing Dean knew of that went from ache to bliss in seconds, but Kristin was alone.

Dean grinned. "Oh, man."

"What?" Sam asked.

"Uh... nothin'. This is just taking a long time."

"We've waited longer."

"Yeah."

Dean let himself imagine Kristin back at the motel. Was she in the bed they shared last night? Was she thinking about him?

How often had he thought about her when he was alone? Hell, when he was with a one night stand? He always saw her face when he closed his eyes.

Back at the motel, Dean tossed his suit jacket over a chair. Kristin was on the bed they'd shared, leaning against the headboard with Sam's laptop.

"How'd it go?" she asked.

"It's not vampires," Dean said.

"Then what is it?"

"We think it's vetalas," Sam said.

"I've never heard of those."

"Yeah, well," Sam said, "we certainly have."

"What are they?"

Dean sat on the edge of the bed.

"They feed on humans, like vampires, but they have four fangs and they inject a poison to sedate their victims. It allows them to feed at will."

"They keep you alive?"

"For a while."

"So," Sam said, "we know what they are, but not who they are. We need to try the club again."

"Agreed," Dean said. He leaned back against the headboard and nudged Kristin's shoulder with his. "What did you do while we were gone?"

"Just, uh, some research. I was looking up info on our missing persons. I tried to get into the police database, but I forgot the last bit of that trick you showed me."

"Here."

Dean took the laptop and was in the database in just a few minutes. He handed the laptop back to Kristin.

"Thanks."

Kristin searched through the files until she found the names of the missing men, as well as their victim in the morgue. She bit her lip as she read, processing all the information before presenting anything to the guys. Just like she always did.

Dean never imagined falling so hard for someone he had never even kissed. The thought that he might be in love with her flew through his mind, but he let the thought pass.

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and Dean knew the longing he felt was all his this time. It was stronger than ever. If Sam weren't in the room, he might even kiss her, but he willed himself to look away.


	4. Chapter 4

"Hey, guys," Kristin said as she pulled on a jacket, "I saw a convenience store on the corner. I'm gonna grab some snacks. You want anything?"

Sam and Dean both declined. They discussed the information they got at the morgue. In the middle of talking, Dean got hit with a sudden, heightened fear that slowly faded.

"Shit!"

He jumped up and grabbed his jacket.

"Dude, what the hell?"

"Kristin's in trouble," Dean said.

"What? How do you know that?"

"Let's go."

They ran to the corner store and looked for Kristin inside, but she wasn't there. Dean ran back outside and scanned the area. A rustle under his foot made him look down, and he picked up a piece of paper.

"What that?" Sam asked.

"A receipt." He held it up for Sam. "What's that look like?"

Sam scanned the list of items. "Snack food."

"They got her."

"The vetalas?"

Dean ran back to his car and flung himself behind the wheel. He was pulling out of the parking spot when Sam jumped in.

"Dude, what's going on? How did you know?"

Dean told Sam about the palm reader, and how he'd been feeling different emotions, and that he'd finally figured out it was Kristin.

"So, you felt her fear?"

"Exactly."

"But it faded?"

"Real slow. Almost like she'd been drugged and was drifting off."

"The venom?"

"That's my guess. You experienced it. Is that what it's like?"

"Pretty much."

Dean pressed the accelerator to the floor.

"Where are we going, Dean?"

"The club. I think they saw us that night. Probably heard us arguing."

"Followed us. Know we're questioning."

"I shouldn't have let her go alone."

"Dean, you couldn't have known."

Dean parked so that he could see both the front door and an alley. His fingers drummed the bottom of the steering wheel while they watched. If it weren't for all his years of experience, he would have charged in. That's where his head was. He just wanted Kristin back.

He sat up when a woman emerged from a side door. A man followed, and staggered a bit as they walked toward the parking lot. A second woman reached into the man's pocket and pulled out his keys. She went in another direction.

"That's them," Dean said.

"Follow the one with the guy."

"I know."

She practically dragged the half-conscious man through the halls of an old warehouse. Dean followed from a safe distance until he saw Kristin tied to a chair. He slipped back into the shadows and motioned to Sam, who was a few paces back.

When the creature was busy tying up the newest victim, Dean made his move. She turned to him as he reached her, and he plunged a silver knife into her chest, then gave it a twist.

"The other one will be here soon, Dean."

"We have to get Kris out of here."

Dean untied Kristin and knelt in front of her. He patted her face.

"Kris... sweetheart, wake up."

Kristin groaned. Her eyes opened only to flutter shut again.

Dean lifted her from the chair and turned as the second vetala came up behind Sam.

"Sam, behind you!"

Sam spun, but the vetala knocked the knife from his hand and pinned Sam to the floor. He fought the creature while Dean lay Kristin on the ground.

Dean kicked the monster off of Sam, and the two of them circled her until Sam was able to grab hold of her from behind, and Dean plunged the knife into her chest.

Dean knelt by Kristin and brushed the hair from her face and neck. His fingers trailed over a bruise on her cheek, and a trickle of blood flowed from a wound on her neck.

"She needs a doctor."

Dean lifted her into his arms and carried her to the car. He let Sam drive while he held Kristin in the back seat.

She groaned and squirmed.

"Keep still, sweetheart. Almost there."

"Dean?"

"Yeah, baby, I'm right here."

"The vetalas..."

"I know. We got 'em."

"They fed on me."

"Both of them?"

Kristin nodded.

"It's okay. We're almost to the hospital."

"So tired..."

"Stay awake. Just a little bit longer."

A couple hours later, Dean sat at Kristin's bedside, holding her hand. After a pint of blood and some IV fluids, her color was returning. The venom wore off not long after she arrived, and she slept for a while.

Dean smiled when she woke.

"Hey."

Kristin tried to sit up, but groaned.

"Just lay still. You lost a good bit of blood."

"I feel like I got hit by a truck."

"I don't doubt it."

"I'm a little fuzzy on time. How long did it take for you guys to realize I was missing?"

Dean squeezed her hand.

"I, uh... I knew as soon as it happened."

"How?"

"The palm reader."

Kristin closed her eyes. "I'm sorry. My head is still fuzzy. The palm reader from the carnival?"

"Yeah. When I stayed behind, she did something to me. She told me I would feel the emotions of someone else... someone I care about."

She shook her head slowly. "What does that have to do with-"

"I felt your fear when those things attacked you. I knew you were in trouble."

"I don't- How can you-"

"You remember in the car on the way back from the carnival? You asked me why I was smiling?"

"Yeah."

"I think I was feeling your happiness."

"No, we just had a fun day."

"Okay, what about that fight?"

"What about it?"

"I felt your anger at me."

"I think you felt your own anger."

Dean ran a hand over his face.

"Okay, after you were in the shower... you cried."

"How... how do you know that?"

"Because I felt it. There was this lump in my throat, and I felt heavy, and I actually cried. But I wasn't upset like that. I was more angry at myself for the way I acted."

"Dean, you told me she was a fake."

"I just wanted to get out of there."

"But why would she want you to feel my emotions?"

"I think she wanted me to realize that you care for me, too."

"Of course I care for you."

"No, sweetheart. Really care. I've been thinking about how angry you got at me. How you wanted me to cut out the big brother crap? Maybe it's because you don't see me as a brother."

"Dean-"

"I gotta be honest, that would be the best news I've had in months."

"Am I still unconscious?"

Dean chuckled. "No, honey, you are very much awake."

"Honey?"

Dean laced their fingers together and pressed a kiss to the back of her hand.

"If you want me," he said.

Kristin closed her eyes. "I don't understand why she wouldn't tell me this."

"Who?"

"The..." she opened her eyes, and a blush colored her cheeks. "The palm reader."

Dean's brow knit together. "She said you were afraid of an answer."

"I was."

"What was the question?"

Kristin hesitated, staring at their joined hands.

"If you love me or not."

Dean stared at her until her eyes met his, then he kissed her. His free hand caressed her face as she kissed him back, but she pulled away, short of breath.

Dean pressed his forehead to hers.

"We're gonna make sure you get strong again, so I can kiss you like I want to."

"Stay with me," she whispered.

"Just let them try to make me leave."

Kristin moved aside to let Dean lie next to her.

"Can you feel what I'm feeling right now?"

Dean concentrated. He felt relief. Happiness. A mild sensation of butterflies. He guessed that Kristin was feeling those things, but he knew these were his own emotions.

"No, I can't."

"Why not?"

"She told me it would go away when I confronted my feelings."

"And what feelings are those?" she asked with a smile.

Dean smiled back and kissed the corner of her mouth.

"Really good feelings," he said.

Kristin was released the next day, with orders to rest. Dean lifted her out of the Impala and carried her into the bunker.

"I'm not an invalid, you know. I can walk."

"You rest. Doctor's orders."

Kristin lay her head against Dean's shoulder as he carried her down the hall and past her bedroom door.

"Ummm, where are we going?"

After a few more steps, Dean turned into his room and closed the door.

"You're staying with me tonight."

He placed her on the bed and helped her get comfortable with extra pillows. He sat next to her and took her hand.

"If there's anything you need, I'll get it for you."

"Dean-"

"I found a book on your night table, so I brought that. And I'll get whatever else you want."

"You know what I want?"

"What?"

She hooked a finger into the neck of his t-shirt and pulled him forward.

"I want you."

Dean groaned, and captured her lips with his. He lay her back into the mound of pillows behind her and brushed his fingers over her face.

He pulled away and rested his forehead to hers.

"You get better, and you'll have me. In the meantime, you'll have to settle for my usual company."

"That's not settling. I've always enjoyed hanging out with you."

Dean stared at her for a moment.

"I think I'm gonna miss feeling what you feel. You always had this..." Dean shook his head and struggled to find the word. "It was a calm kind of happiness."

"Like contentment?"

Dean nodded. "That's a nice feeling. Even second-hand. I couldn't tell you the last time I felt that way."

"What are you feeling right now?"

Dean thought for a moment, and a smile pulled at his lips.

"Well, I'll be damned."

"Content?"

"Yep."

"It's not that you're never happy, Dean. I've seen it with my own eyes. You just so rarely allow yourself to feel it. Let yourself be happy for once."

"As long as I've got you, sweetheart."


End file.
